


Phoenix Feathers make everything whole

by rexthranduil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Prosthetics, bit of self-loathing/hate, but happy feels, self-consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 02:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rexthranduil/pseuds/rexthranduil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So I found a prompt on tumblr <a href="http://marvelheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/83023037163/imagine-bucky-being-really-self-conscious-about">this one</a> to be precise and I just couldn't resist.<br/>Bucky is self-conscious about his arm and a little kid makes him feel good about it :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Phoenix Feathers make everything whole

He wears long-sleeved shirts, even in the sweltering summer heat. Buttons his coats and jackets right up until not even his neck shows. Full-fingered gloves to hide the  _wrongness_  of it. Shoves his hands in his pockets. Avoids using his left hand for anything in public.

The metal is familiar though, even though he  _hates_  that it is a comfortable reminder for him when he wakes up in the night, throat raw from the screams torn from him, eyes wild and chest heaving. It’s a reminder of what he’s lost to time and agendas, to mad men and the cold. Now it’s a token and he hates it even more because it’s something people shy from when they see it.

Even if it’s just a sliver of the metallic service when he has to use his left hand to hand over a bill for the crap they call coffee in this century, he sees how they view it. They pity him. They are reviled by it. They think “oh god how horrible!” but they don’t  _know._  They don’t  _understand._

No one understands.

"Hey mista!"

A boy, barely even ten, shouts out to him across the grass. He’s ventured outside for one, long-sleeve and jeans with pockets, but it’s so hot he had to roll the sleeves. He’s hiding out under a large oak, the shadows obscuring him, blocking out the sun so it doesn’t reflect off his arm - though there are stray rays that make it through the foliage and bounce off the smooth metal. It doesn’t stop the kid from noticing him.

Or more specifically, his  _arm._

"Cool arm mista!" The boy pants, voice light and full of awe, cheer and admiration as his eyes take in the detail of his cold arm. 

He stares at him, confused because  _how,_  how could this boy think his arm was anything other than the monstrosity it was? How could this…  _kid_  think it ‘cool’?

"I wish my leg looked that awesome!" The kid whines suddenly, his cheer dissipating suddenly as he looks gloomily down at his leg which Bucky has only just noticed.

It’s a prosthetic. It looks like bones, nothing more than that. Not at all like Bucky’s arm. There’s no musculature to it, it’s the bare basics and Bucky can’t help but look at it in fascination because how could the kid be so okay with the world, with how people obviously look at him like he’s an invalid, like he’s something to be pitied?

"Why don’t you get a new one?" Bucky asks, unable to stop staring at the prosthetic until the boy, he doesn’t even know his name Jesus, laughs a little.

"I am! That’s why my mom and I are here! I’m seeing a specialist at the hospital and he’s gonna give me a new leg!" The boy laughs again, smiling. "I’m gonna ask for him to make me one that looks like your arm! All metal and stuff!" 

"Danny!" 

A woman, probably in her early thirties, comes running up to the tree, her face coloured with exertion and worry. “I told you not to run off! Our consultation is at three and we can’t be late!”

"But mom look!" Danny whines, waving at Bucky who looks at the woman, Danny’s mother, a little alarmed when she catches sight of him. "He’s got a metal arm! Can I have a metal leg? It’d be so cool!"

"Danny don’t be rude!" His mom scolds him but Bucky can’t help but smile because wow, this kid really thinks his arm is cool and isn’t even remotely ashamed of himself. Danny doesn’t care about his leg, doesn’t care that he hasn’t got the same number of body parts as everyone else. He’s a kid and doesn’t care what people think of him.

He thinks Bucky’s arm is cool and nothing bad.

"I don’t know if your doctor can give you a metal leg Danny." Bucky explains gently, feeling bad when the boy’s smile dissipates. Leaning forward and resting his metallic arm on his knee so Danny can see it better he continues. "But, I know someone who  _might_  be able to make you one if I ask him nicely.”

"Who?"

"You probably know him best as Iron Man." Bucky grins, flexing his arm as Danny lets out a gasp of disbelief.

"No way!"

"Yes way." Bucky nods. Standing swiftly Bucky discovers that Danny’s mom is tiny, not even five feet and he towers over her

She looks at him warily, trying not to burst her son’s bubble but she can’t help but begin to protest at Bucky’s insistence. “That’s very generous of you sir but we couldn’t possibly-“

Her protests are interrupted by the sound of Bucky’s cell ringing. He fishes it out of his pocket and answers it, giving the woman an apologetic smile. “What is it?”

"We got a goon down in Hell’s Kitchen. You wanna join?"

"Sure Stark, I’ll be at the tower in five. Also I wanna ask you a favour." Bucky answers as he looks down at Danny who’s staring at him in awe.

"Whatever panda eyes, just hurry up."

"Don’t call me that." Bucky growls before he hangs up, ignoring whatever Stark was saying down the line.

Looking at Danny and his mom, Bucky sighs. “I’m sorry kid, I gotta fight some bad guys. You and your mom should probably get to your appointment. Don’t want to be late do you now?”

"But what about my leg?" Danny pouts, looking close to tears and Bucky can’t help it. He really can’t because damn this kid is so young and has his entire life ahead of him, he deserves to have something to put him on par with the rest of the human race.

"How about your mom gives me her contact details and when I’m done with what I need to do I can talk to Stark and see what we can do?" Bucky offers looking at Danny’s mom imploringly. She looks torn but she can’t resist the desperate pleas from her son, she hasn’t seen him look so happy since the accident so she sighs and quickly writes down her name and phone number on the back of a starbucks receipt.

Three weeks later, Danny has a new, fully functional leg, thanks to a generous donation from Stark Enterprises and is enjoying running like the wind when he spots a flash of light out the corner of his eye at the entrance to the local park.

He can’t see who it is clearly because he’s too far away but when the figure moves again, Danny realises who it is when the entire left arm of the figure flashes a blinding white, reflecting the hot sun shining down.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I had such a feels episode with this, literally, I went for angst, self-loathing and then some cute fluff at the end b/c why the hell not :)  
> This is my [tumblr](buckingbuckybarnes.tumblr.com) btw


End file.
